The document details the custodial history and organization of exhibition announcements collected by Meyer Schapiro from 1920 to 2001, including his original categorization by artist. It highlights the importance of these materials for provenance research in the art world, particularly in tracing the history and legality of ownership of artworks. The document also discusses a specific case study involving André Masson's painting 'Pasiphae' and the complexities of verifying its exhibition history and provenance.

1. Meyer Schapiro Collection Series VI: Exhibition announcements, invitations, and press releases, 1920-2001

2. Custodial History Schapiro collected and organized exhibition announcements from his faculty office at Schermerhorn Hall Material that post dates Schapiro’s death (1996-2001) were collected and organized by his wife Lillian Milgram Schapiro Transferred to the Visual Media Center in Schermerhorn in the 1980s [?] Transferred to RBML, Fall 2009

3. Boxes being moved from Schermerhorn to RBML

4. Organization and Extent Schapiro’s original file structure retained Organized alphabetically by artist's last name and then chronologically (except for the years spanning 1920-1942) To facilitate retrieval of items, material was grouped into the following subseries: Subseries: VI.1: 1920-1942 Subseries: VI.2: A-E, 1943-2001 Subseries: VI.3: F-L, 1943-2001 Subseries: VI.4: M-R, 1943-2001 Subseries: VI.5: S-Z, 1943-2001 Subseries: VI.6: Group exhibitions, 1945-2001 Subseries: VI.7: Oversize 41 record storage boxes : circa 61.5 linear feet

5. Record carton storage boxes are used to visually differentiate this series from the rest of the collection and to maximize the retrieval of material for end users.

6. Potential uses of material Being ephemeral in nature, exhibition announcements tend to be dispersed across collections or discarded. When they are in fact retained, they are treated as miscellaneous records that are not sufficiently described and therefore not always accessed Schapiro’s collected and organized exhibition announcements provide a concentrated resource for the understanding of the following: The history of New York art galleries Provenance research of individual art works History of the modern art exhibition The growth of the art dealer

7. Provenance research Provenance research for works of art held in museums are crucial for tracing the legality of their ownership, especially since local, national, and international laws require proof of legal custody Works of art looted during the Nazi era and illegally excavated works of art purchased by institutions are two examples of how dubious provenance can ultimately effect the present day custody of a work of art

8. Provenance research Resources Museum of Modern Art : Provenance Research Project Getty Research Institute : Project for the Study of Collecting and Provenance (PSCP)

9. Provenance research : an exercise Informal run on provenance research using Meyer Schapiro’s exhibition announcements Disclaimer : not a comprehensive research assignment, but a quick tour on the internet that illustrates how primary sources can serve each other vis-à-vis provenance research.

10. André Masson at the Paul Rosenberg & Co., New York City May 1 - May 20, 1944

12. Internet search with ["Masson" and "Pasiphaë" ] yielded a work at the Museum of Modern Art Not the work: Wrong date and medium Pasiphaë 1945. Pastel on black paper, 27 1/2 x 38 1/8" (69.8 x 96.8 cm) Gift of André Masson

13. Another search result was found on Artnet ’s website that documents the results of auction sales. In particular, a Masson Pasiphaë came up as being sold at a Sotheby’s New York auction on Tuesday, May 6, 2003 in their Impressionist & Modern Art sale, part one as lot number 38 Artist: André Masson Title: Pasiphae Medium: Oil and Tempera w/sand on canvas Size: 40 x 49.9 in. / 101.6 x 126.7 cm. Year: 1943 Misc.: Signed, Inscribed Sale Of: Sotheby's New York: Tuesday, May 6, 2003 [Lot 38] Impressionist & Modern Art Part One Estimate: * Sold For: * Potentially the work, given measurements and style reminiscent of Schapiro’s sketch

14. Going to Sotheby’s website and searching under their "explore auctions" feature, I located this work and its attendant provenance as researched by Sotheby’s .

15. Sotheby’s measurements 40 by 49 7/8in. 101.6 by 126.7cm

16. Impressionist & Modern Art, Part One Sale: N07890 Location: New York Auction Dates: Session 1: Tue, 06 May 03 7:00 PM LOT 38 The exhibition history as listed on Sotheby’s website does not include the exhibition held at Paul Rosenberg & Co. in 1944. Neither is it confirmed that Paul Rosenberg & Co. ever formally held it in their custody.

17. Property from the Collection of Dr. and Mrs. Jerome H. Hirschmann ANDRÉ MASSON (1896-1987) PASIPHAE 400,000—600,000 USD Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 904,000 USD MEASUREMENTS 40 by 49 7/8in. 101.6 by 126.7cm DESCRIPTION Signed andré masson (lower right); titled and dated PASIPHAE XLIII on the reverse Oil, tempera and sand on canvas Painted in 1943. Provenance: Galerie Simon, Paris (acquired from the artist) Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris (acquired from the above and until at least 1958) (possibly) William Rubin, New York Richard Feigen Gallery, Inc., Chicago Acquired from the above circa 1960 Impressionist & Modern Art, Part One Sale: N07890 Location: New York Auction Dates: Session 1: Tue, 06 May 03 7:00 PM LOT 38 Sotheby’s claims that Galerie Simon of Paris acquired the work directly from Masson and that, subsequently thereafter, Galerie Louise Leiris of Paris acquired it from Galerie Simon and held it until at least 1958. Paul Rosenberg & Co. not mentioned as having painting formally held it in their custody

18. Exhibited: Paris, Galerie Simon, André Masson , circa 1943, no. 19 New York, Whitney Museum of American Art, European Artists in America , 1945, no. 82 (as dating from 1944) Paris, Galerie Louise Leiris, André Masson: Rapportées d'Amérique , 1945, no. 6 Hanover, Kestner-Gesellschaft, André Masson , 1955, no. 10 Venice, XXIX Biennale Internazionale d'Arte , 1958, no. 29 Berlin, Akademie der Künste, Ausstellung in der Akademie der Künste vom 3 , 1964, no. 34 Paris, Musée National d'Art Moderne, André Masson , 1965, no. 43 New York, The Museum of Modern Art; Houston, Museum of Fine Arts; Paris, Grand Palais, André Masson , 1976-77, no. 97 The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Spirit of Surrealism\ 1979, no. 82 Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art, Dada and Surrealism in Chicago Collections, 1985 Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art, Toward the Future: Contemporary Art in Context, 1990 Canberra, Australian National Gallery; South Brisbane, Queensland Art Gallery, Surrealism, 1993 (not in exhibition catalogue) Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Montreal, Musée des Beaux Arts; Berlin, Staatliche Museen, Exiles and Emigrés: The Flight of European Artists from Hitler, 1997-98, no. 105 Paris, Centre Pompidou, La Révolution Surréaliste, 2002, no. 78 Literature: William S. Rubin, Dada and Surrealist Art, New York 1968, fig. 381, illustrated p. 379 William S. Rubin and Carolyn Lanchner, André Masson, New York, 1976, illustrated p. 59 Françoise Levaillant, André Masson, Milan, 1988, illustrated p. 24 Masson (exhibition catalogue), Académie de France, Rome, illustrated pl. 138 (as dating from 1947) The Comité Masson has kindly confirmed the authenticity of this work. Impressionist & Modern Art, Part One Sale: N07890 Location: New York Auction Dates: Session 1: Tue, 06 May 03 7:00 PM LOT 38 The Paul Rosenberg & Co. exhibit is never mentioned

19. New York, Whitney Museum of American Art, European Artists in America , 1945, no. 82 (as dating from 1944) Painting may strongly be the one exhibited at Paul Rosenberg & Co. given that it was exhibited at the Whitney Museum in 1945, possibly directly after the Rosenberg & Co. exhibition. Impressionist & Modern Art, Part One Sale: N07890 Location: New York Auction Dates: Session 1: Tue, 06 May 03 7:00 PM LOT 38

20. Is it the painting ? A more detailed, serious, and in-depth research assignment would be required to ascertain if the painting from Rosenberg & Co. is the one auctioned at Sotheby’s in 2003 There is, after all, a discrepancy in dimensions by 1/16 inch between what is listed in the exhibition announcement and Sotheby’s listing A quick gloss such as this gives a sense of how complex provenance research really is and the surprises that it yields